Jacksonville project announced at U.K. trade show
Officials participating in a Florida trade mission to the U.K. said Tuesday that a consortium of aerospace companies had selected Jacksonville's Cecil Field as the location for building a military cargo plane'if they get the contract from the Defense Department.
The consortium of L-3 Communications Integrated Systems, Alenia North America Inc. and Boeing Integrated Defense Systems said at the Farnborough International Airshow in England that the C-27-J Spartan cargo plane would be built on space leased by Boeing at Cecil Field. Boeing already has other operations adjacent to the site.
Gov. Jeb Bush, who was on hand for the announcement as part of the Florida trade mission, issued a statement that said: “In selecting Cecil Field, the (consortium) embraced the strength of our state’s pro-business climate, robust defense industry and highly skilled workforce. This new assembly and production activity will enhance Florida’s economy and is a fine addition to the state’s rich aerospace and aviation sectors.'
Officials representing the consortium added that Jacksonville's multimodal transportation infrastructure was a factor in selecting the Cecil Field location.
